Welcome to the Global Health and Humanitarianism MOOC. We are delighted to have you with us, and hope that the next six weeks will provide an interesting and thoughtful experience for you.
We hope the course will give you an overview of global health and humanitarianism in theory and in practice. These fields overlap, and are connected, in many significant ways. However, we have used three key themes to explore our subjects: each key theme will be discussed over two week blocks by specialist course lecturers, and supported by unique video perspectives by three keynote speakers who are leading specialists in the field.
- Weeks 1 & 2: An Introduction to Global Health Dr Amy Hughes MBE;
- Weeks 3 & 4: Humanitarian Responses and Dilemmas Dr Tim Jacoby;
- Weeks 5 & 6: The Right to Humanitarian Assistance and the Responsibility to Protect Dr Kirsten Howarth.
To get the best out of the course we encourage you to try and set aside a few hours each week. This will give you time to work through videos, written materials and linked resources, and to get involved with discussion with other learners. We have provided a variety of different readings, resources and suggested activity based on the course content. Some will be essential to your understanding of the MOOC themes, and to assessment (if you have chosen to take part in assessment activity). Others will be for those of you who want to discover more about a particular subject or perspective, or to make your own study of global health or humanitarianism in action. Check through the weekly resources and content to find out which best suit your needs.
During the course we will look at a range of different opinions and debates, linked to key themes and addressing ethics and moral issues. We hope you will be inspired and encouraged to explore and share your own perspectives, and those of others, throughout the course. Different viewpoints are essential to understanding global health and humanitarian practice.
We hope you enjoy the next six weeks finding out about Global Health and Humanitarianism, and look forward to hearing from you on the discussion boards.

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100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible deadlines

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Beginner Level

Beginner Level

Hours to complete

Approx. 9 hours to complete

Suggested: 5 hours/week...

Available languages

English

Subtitles: English

100% online

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible deadlines

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Beginner Level

Beginner Level

Hours to complete

Approx. 9 hours to complete

Suggested: 5 hours/week...

Available languages

English

Subtitles: English

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week

1

Hours to complete

2 hours to complete

What is Global Health?

These first two weeks will introduce you to the concept of global health through a range of perspectives from three keynote speakers, draw out some of their key thoughts, explore these with examples, and determine whether we can clearly conclude upon a definition of Global Health. We will be using various educational platforms to navigate the question 'What is Global Health?' - some short video narrations from me, expert thoughts from our three keynote speakers and some external documentary videos and articles. ...

Global Health definitions, case studies and evolution

We will first re-visit part of last week's keynote video and discuss their thoughts on what global health is, and bring particular focus to the origin and evolution of the term, the main organisations and agencies involved in global health and the influence of private and commercial organisations on global health. ...

Video 2.2: The Spread of Disease (including League of Nations Case Study) (03:01)3m

Video 2.3: Case Study: Pandemic Influenza Outbreak, WW1 (05:17)5m

Video 2.4: Origins of Global Health (02:39)2m

Video 2.5: GH Non Communicable Diseases (03:52)3m

Reading4 readings

Week 2's Focus10m

Origins of Global Health10m

GH Non Communicable Diseases10m

Week 2 Wrap Up10m

Quiz1 practice exercise

Weeks 1 & 2 Quiz12m

Week

3

Hours to complete

1 hour to complete

Humanitarian Response

This week we will consider what gives rise to a humanitarian emergency. We will look at different types of hazard, and how these combine with vulnerability to give rise to a disaster. We will then go on to think about how responses to such phenomena are organised: Who undertakes these? What phases do they go through?...

Humanitarian Dilemmas

Last week we looked at the nature of 'disasters' and examined a possible set of humanitarian responses to disaster. We concluded by considering the problem of mitigation, leading us to complex ethical questions that make the main focus of the course this week. In particular we will look at the way humanitarian agencies bear witness to the actions of others, and the problem, or requirement, of holding people accountable for these actions. ...

About University of Manchester

Tracing its roots back to 1824, the University of Manchester is home to almost 40,000 students. The University has three Nobel laureates among its current staff – more than any other British university - and a total of 25 Nobel laureates have come from our past and present students and staff. We have three main goals: to undertake world-class research; to deliver an outstanding learning and student experience; and to be socially responsible....

Frequently Asked Questions

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When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?

Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.

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What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?

When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.